


Across the Known Universe

by tigerlily340



Category: She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018)
Genre: An overwhelming amount of OCs, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Extended Universe, F/F, F/M, Fictional Religion & Theology, IN SPACE!, Multi, Original Character(s), Original Culture, Original Language, Original Mythology, Rebels, She-ra - Freeform, Tags Contain Spoilers, Tags May Change, Team as Family
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-09
Updated: 2021-01-09
Packaged: 2021-03-09 01:28:32
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,791
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27476542
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tigerlily340/pseuds/tigerlily340
Summary: Across the known universe, light-years from Etheria lies one of the last strongholds against the Galactic Horde, the Galaxy Therah. Fighting for their lives after the fall of their protective barrier, the Galactic Rebellion is desperate to reclaim their home from the Horde. A young, ambitious captain decides to take matters into her own hands with the help of a very unlikely ally. Will the Rebellion finally be able to take back the remainder of the galaxy with their help?
Relationships: Horde Prime Clones (She-Ra)/Original Character(s)
Comments: 12
Kudos: 9





	1. Horde Found

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so this fic is essentially:
> 
> How are other galaxies dealing with Prime?
> 
> A question that has plagued my mind so often that it compelled me to write this.
> 
> Enjoy~

The Siege of Fotia and her surrounding solar system was long and arduous, as was any siege carried out in the Galaxy Therah. Their enemy, the Galactic Horde, was relentless in their efforts to hold their ground. Yet despite the numerous waves of Horde soldiers that beat down upon their forces, the Galactic Rebellion prevailed.

Another system reclaimed from the Horde’s grasp.

Another victory for Captain Kalio of the Rebellion’s Fifth Division.

The Captain surveyed the black battlefields from a small plateau, her tentacles and captain’s cape fluttering in the hot breeze. Her one yellow eye, the other scarred and hidden behind an eyepatch, flickered up towards the dueling suns, veiled by the Rebellion’s numerous starships and the remaining smoke of the battles that had ensued.

Memories of the siege replayed in her mind’s eye: the laserfire, the explosions, the tension of the controls as she flew past the Horde’s burning spires in her skyhawk. She could still feel the burn of adrenaline at the base of her neck as her gaze slowly fell back onto the dark ground below.

Her comrades, her allies, all who risked life and limb to protect their home lay before her, badly mangled and badly burnt. Most of them had already succumbed to their wounds, staring ahead with dead empty eyes. But yet, a few still remained, the Captain spotting their movement amongst the debris. “Spread out,” she ordered. Immediately, troops appeared from behind the small plateau, following her command towards the scorched terrain.

Twenty teams of five fanned out amongst the churned earth and rubble, equipped with various medical supplies to tend to the wounded. Stretchers were unfolded, wounds were dressed, and oxygen masks were fixed onto the barely breathing as they were rushed back to the waiting medical tents.

The rest were to gather the dead and prepare them for The Pits.

This all could have been avoided. Kalio was sure of it. There had to have been some way to put an end to this, so that no more names would be added to the memorials… no more of their friends and family lost. There had to be _something,_ and Captain Kalio of Nautiqa was going to find it.

The Captain's gaze remained fixed on her troops for a moment longer before turning towards a small group of four near a waiting dropship. Her heeled footsteps were soft upon the black earth as she made her way over to them. The Doctor, Zoril, was the first to speak.

“Captain,” he began nervously, “we’re not searching for what I _think_ we’re searching for…” He paused. “… are we?”

The Captain raised a brow, a hint of annoyance in her voice. “And if we are?” she asked, walking past him.

The Doctor grimaced at her words. “Kalio, it’s hopeless!” he cried, rushing to match her pace. “The Call… it was heard for miles! You can’t possibly think that--”

The Captain turned towards him, glaring him down, her voice sharp, piercing. “That we’ll actually _find_ something?”

Her pupil had narrowed into a thin slit, causing the Doctor’s spiny crest atop his head to flatten. He stammered for a moment before gulping down his words, then promptly averted his eyes from her gaze. The rest of the group halted behind them, not sure what to do.

She then straightened her posture and turned back towards the dropship. “We need to try, Doctor. We’ve lost too many on this run…” her voice lowered, “… too many.”

Zoril’s scaly features softened.

“We need information,” she continued, “and we need it fast if we’re to reclaim any more systems with as few casualties as possible.” The Captain then resumed her pace up the ramp.

The Doctor followed slowly behind, adjusting his spectacles and letting out a resigned sigh. “The rest of the Council won’t agree with this.”

“The rest of Council can leave it at the grave!”

Zoril jolted, casting his gaze up towards his Captain. The rest of the group followed.

“We want to go home, Doctor,” she said, her expression stern and unyielding. Bathed in the orange light of the dueling suns, she looked out past the group, past the horizon. “All of us.”

Hours had passed since their departure from the battlefield. Hours soaring over the Horde’s smoldering spires, over the skeleton trees once red with life, waiting for news of a signature only to receive silence. Zoril lay slumped against his medical kit, overtaken by fatigue, whilst the crew member on the opposite bench kept busy cleaning his blaster gun. The two other crew members in their small congregation sat at opposite sides of the holding bay, each equipped with scanners pointed out the open doors. There were still no signatures as of yet, only empty screens.

The Captain stood at the door to the cockpit, the battle between both her growing restlessness and fatigue hidden well behind a stoic mask. However, her white-knuckled grip on the ceiling bar threatened to betray her. “ _Amma liewa…_ ” she muttered, rubbing her good eye with her free hand.

The four-armed crew member to her left glanced up at her. “I take it skyhawking didn’t treat you well this run,” he began.

The Captain shot him a glare.

He paused. “… is what I would say,” he continued, “under more favorable circumstances. But considering the sour mood you’re in and the fact that you’re still alive despite having only one good eye, I’d say skyhawking treated you quite well today.” He looked up at her once more. Her glare had doubled in intensity.

“Are you done, Reinner?”

The four-armed crew member averted his eyes and turned back to his screen. “If you want me to be.”

“Very much so,” the Captain said sternly, returning her gaze to its prior position. After a moment, she let out a small sigh and shifted her grip on the ceiling bar. _Just a little while longer,_ she told herself, memories swirling and taking shape in her mind’s eye. _We’ll find something… we have to…._

_“It is out of the question.”_

_“Akka—”_

_“I will hear no more of it.” The figure before her turned away, his captain’s cape trailing behind him as he strode down the hall._

_Anger surged within Kalio. Her tentacles rose up, her teeth bared. “WHAT OTHER CHOICE DO WE HAVE?!” she shouted, her voice echoing against the marble walls._

_The figure turned sharply. “Keep your voice down—”_

_“NO!” Kalio countered, taking a step forward. “Akka, with every siege the Horde grows more and more determined to keep their hold! We need to do this! And we already have everything we need to do it! How many more decades is it going to take if we don’t? How many more soldiers are we going to have to send back IN BAGS before—”_

_“ENOUGH!” the figure bellowed._

_Kalio froze, her mouth clamping shut, her tentacles lowering._

_The figure took long strides towards her. “You know just as well as I what they’re capable of.” His heeled gait halted in front of her. “They pose too much of a risk to go through with whatever half-baked plan you’ve concocted! And as for the soldiers,” he paused, his yellow eyes narrowing, “... it is through their sacrifice that we are able to succeed. As a fellow soldier and fellow Captain, I thought you would come to understand that by now.”_

_Kalio flinched._

_She hated this, every second of it._

_It took every fiber of her being to keep her remaining composure under control._

_Slowly she looked up, locking eyes with him, their fiery yellow orbs searing into each other. After a moment, the figure turned away. “That is the last we are going to have of this discussion,” he said, the echoes of his footsteps receding down the marble hallway._

_Kalio stood there alone, her fists clenched tight as a shaky sigh escaped her._

The sound of pinging brought her out of her haze.

“Uh… Captain?”

Reinner looked up from his place at the open door, his four eyes wide.

The Captain knelt down to get a better look at his screen.

She stopped… then pulled the screen closer.

A single glowing dot pinged on the scanner.

Kalio stared at the screen a moment more in disbelief. “Wh-where is it coming from?” she asked, her voice almost breathless.

“From that crater up ahead,” Reinner answered, extending two of his four arms towards a large crater in the distance.

In an instant, Kalio was at the door to the cockpit with her fist slammed onto the intercom.

“PREPARE TO LAND IMMEDIATELY!”

The surrounding battlefield was littered with the white bodies of their enemy, still, lifeless, all of them donning the same insignia that had seen the fall of countless galaxies.

It was easy to tell what had caused their demise. The bloodied, the burnt, and the mangled were the result of skyhawk and dropship bombers as well as laserfire from soldiers on the ground. The cleaner ones fell victim to a weapon of Horde Prime’s own creation: dubbed by the rebels as “The Killing Call,” a signal broadcasted right before a planet could be fully absorbed by the Rebellion’s protective barrier, killing everything under Horde control. It was Prime’s own way of keeping his secrets to himself. Nothing could escape it. But evidently…

Something did.

Kalio looked at the screen once more as the dropship landed.

There it was, clear as day, a little dot, pinging out into the open air.

Once all of them had gathered their necessary equipment, Kalio withdrew her pistol from her holster. “On guard,” she warned, the rest of her crew following her lead. “Quickly now.”

With that, they left the safety of the holding bay and advanced towards the mouth of the crater, kneeling down once they reached its edge. Slowly, Reinner raised his scanning gun over the rim and aimed into the hollow pit below.

Kalio glanced over at him. “Scanner Report,” she whispered.

Reinner looked at the screen, the dot a little bit closer to the group than before. He peeked over the crater’s edge. “It’s almost to the bottom,” he whispered, “in that clump over there.”

Kalio followed his pointed finger to a pile of white bodies towards the bottom. “And there’s only one?” she asked.

“Affirmative.”

“Hmm.” She took a moment to study the pile, straining to look for any signs of movement. “Is it a clone?” she whispered.

Reinner looked back at the screen. “Yes. His heart rate is pretty low though.” He squinted. “Most likely unconscious.”

“Excellent,” she said, lifting herself from the black dirt.

Zoril, who had been trying desperately to calm his own heart rate, hesitantly glanced over. “H-how should we handle this, Captain?” He paused, then looked again. His Captain was now standing tall at the edge of the crater, putting her pistol back in its holster.

“C-captain?”

She then jumped, falling down onto the steep incline below.

“CAPTAIN WAIT!” Zoril cried, reaching out in vain to grab her cape.

He, Reinner, and the two other crew members all watched as she tumbled and slid down the slope towards the bottom. Zoril turned towards them, quickly grabbing the rope from Reinner’s pack. “Hurry!” he cried. “Lower me down!”

Kalio was halfway down the incline now and gaining speed. Steadying her balance, her yellow eye flickered between the pile and the path in front of her. As soon as she reached the bottom, she launched into a sprint, dusting the black dirt off her suit and tentacles as she ran. Her heart beat wildly in her ear nodes as she drew nearer to the bodies. _Please,_ she prayed, slamming down on her knees near the pile, _please be alive._

She crawled up to the first body, throwing all caution to the wind by pressing her head down directly onto its chest. All her life Kalio had been taught to fear these beings, these bringers of death and destruction. They had taken so much from her, her home, her friends, her family, but there was no time for fear, not when she was this close. There she stayed, her ear nodes trained on his chest, listening for something, _anything_ that would show that the clone was still alive.

There was nothing.

No heartbeat.

No breath.

Kalio grabbed the clone by its collar and shoved it aside, crawling over to the next body. She looked it over in its entirety, from the white skull-like face that faded into a steel blue at the neck, to the cuts, rips, and tears in its once pristine uniform. She planted her head down firmly once more, listening for something… _anything_ ….

Nothing.

Only silence.

A small whimper escaped her as she pushed the body aside. She looked down at the third and final clone, the lump in her throat burning. _Amma liewa_ , she begged, pressing her ear nodes to his chest, _please let this be the one._

… it was.

Kalio’s eye widened as she listened to the faint, slow heartbeat just under its breastbone. She pressed closer in disbelief. _This had to be a trick… it couldn’t possibly…._

A small breath from the clone beneath her silenced any doubt. Kalio bolted upwards in alarm, stumbling back a foot or two, her purple skin paling briefly.

“Captain!” Zoril cried from behind. Kalio turned to see him running towards her, stethoscope and medical bag in hand, his large blue tail swaying to keep him balanced. “It’s this one!” she called as he drew closer. The Doctor skidded to a halt and knelt beside her. With shaking hands, he fumbled with the stethoscope before placing the pad down onto the clone’s chest. After a few seconds, and a few adjustments to the positioning, the Doctor’s eyes went wide.

“My god,” he whispered.

Kalio turned towards him. Slowly he turned to look at her, his wide eyes magnified by his spectacles. No words needed to be spoken between the two. His face said it all.

Shaking his head slightly, he turned his attention back to the clone. “There doesn’t seem to be any serious external injur—’’ He stopped, his eyes locked on the black earth beneath the clone’s neck. He lunged forward and took a bit between his fingers, smearing it together. There was the slightest hint of green.

Blood.

Quickly, Kalio turned towards the top of the crater, cupping her mouth so her crew could hear her. “Bring the ship down here NOW!”

Reinner saluted from the rim, running back to the dropship with the others.

“Possible neck trauma… or to the head… that coupled with the heart rate,” Zoril muttered. He looked up. “There’s no telling what this could mean, Captain… he might not make it.”

With her back to the Doctor, Kalio let out a long sigh. “We just found the impossible, Doctor.” She turned around, her yellow eye holding him fast in her gaze.

“We need to do all we can to make sure he lives.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translations:
> 
> Amma liewa - "Mother almighty"  
> Akka - "Uncle"
> 
> Thank you so much for reading!


	2. To Lie In Wait

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A day in the life aboard the Captain's main starship.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: Mentions of wounds and bandaging, nothing explicit but they're there.
> 
> Translations and pronunciations (should've added that in the first chapter whoops) at the end.
> 
> Feedback always encouraged!
> 
> Thank you, and enjoy~

It appeared that the worst was behind the Rebellion’s reclaim of Fotia.

The planetary recovery measures had only been in progress for a little over two weeks, and yet, the system as a whole had begun to look better already.

Horde settlements were stripped down for their materials, most of which would be sent to the planet Hithotera for repurposing, and the same went for the numerous Horde starships left to drift aimlessly between planets. The Killing Call might have deactivated them and fried their systems, but they still had _some_ use to the Rebellion. Once melted down, they would go on to create thousands of more spacecraft, ground vehicles, weapons, machinery, parts, etc., replenishing the Rebellion’s forces so they could continue on with future campaigns.

The same could not be said for the fallen Rebellion soldiers.

The Pits were running past capacity. Even those dedicated to the planet’s native warriors and innocents caught in the crossfire had expanded well beyond what was originally intended. Plans were being drawn up for more sites, but despite all the dark clouds that billowed outwards from those places, a glimmer of hope was able to shine through. Because of their sacrifice, another system was freed, and in their stead, new life would be able to take root in all the planets they freed and in all the hundreds of memorial gardens that just begun construction.

This was true not just in the system of Fotia, but in all systems that had recently been liberated by the Rebellion, the leaders which oversaw their reclaim now displayed on the large holographic screens of Captain Kalio’s command deck.

Said Captain sat upright and attentive in her chair on the uppermost level, her yellow eye flickering between the figures before her. This was a routine meeting, its purpose simply to go over the progress of their own respective systems’ recovery. It was one of the countless duties that came with being a leader of the Rebellion.

Whilst the meeting continued and other crew members worked at their stations at the lower levels, something stirred in a small bed near the Captain’s command center. There was a yawn, and a stretch, then a lengthy shake from a small blue sea-dog, who then waddled his way over to the Captain and whined.

Kalio immediately muted her end of the call and eyed him from her chair. “No,” she said, returning her gaze to the screens. The dog whined again, his small but bushy tail wagging.

“No, Little Man.” The Captain’s voice was stern, but the dog paid no mind, placing his two front paws on her thigh, _pleading_ to be let up.

The Captain eyed him once more, determination shining brightly in his three yellow eyes.

Kalio then let out a long sigh, admitting defeat. She patted her lap for him to come up, Little Man immediately springing up from his place on the floor to reach his new perch. Elegance was not in the little dog’s nature, however, so what should have been a smooth transition upwards was in reality a desperate scramble. Little Man paid no mind to the process though. So long as he could be near his caretaker, he was content. He sat down upon Kalio’s lap and looked up at her happily.

She gave a small smile in return. _“Issa’wiyo,_ ” she said softly, scratching behind his ears. The Captain then turned her attention back to the figures in front of her, pressing a key on her command board to unmute her end of the call.

“But I do believe congratulations are in order, young Captain,” the woman at the leftmost screen said proudly.

“Yes indeed!” a felinoid figure proclaimed. “Seems it was only yesterday you took your first planet, and now you’re taking entire systems! Where did the time go?”

“I’m not sure,” the Captain replied, petting Little Man once more. “All I know is that it took my right eye with it.”

The same figure let out a hearty laugh, slamming his striped fist down onto his armrest. His one golden fang glinted in the shimmering blue light.

The founder of the Rebellion, the protector of the galaxy, King Orion of Therah was the next to speak.

“With the Fotian System now reclaimed from the Horde, and the Siege of Alantra almost at an end, it seems the first half of this year’s campaign is complete.” His brown eyes narrowed. “Have there been any strange movements from beyond the barrier on your ends?”

“Not that I’ve seen,” said the striped figure.

“The same is true here,” replied the woman.

“No, your Majesty,” answered Kalio.

“Even so,” the King continued, “reinforce your settlements. I’ll be expecting full reports on the matter promptly.” His eyes searched the congregation, from Kalio to the unoccupied screen at the end. “Are there any other concerns?”

Kalio and the striped one exchanged a glance, then looked to the woman. Her aura of tranquility was reassuring.

“No, your Majesty,” they all said in unison.

“Very well,” he concluded, “You are all dismissed.”

The video feed then ended and the large holographic screens disappeared.

The Captain let out a sigh. “Deploy another set of ships to the settlement,” she ordered, “and Farah, handle that report for me please.”

“Yes, Captain,” a female voice replied from below.

The crystal settlements were always being reinforced. That’s how King Orion preferred them. After all, it was those same crystals that fueled the galaxy’s protective barrier. No chances were to be taken with them, no oversights spared, not after what happened to let the Horde _in_ to begin with. Captain Kalio was more than inclined to agree with his wishes, for no other in the galaxy had suffered a more devastating loss of life and home, by the hand of Prime, than the people of Nautiqa.

Suddenly, there was a ping from the Captain’s personal screen. Her eye narrowed slightly.

It was a message from the King.

 _You’re going to live long, Orion,_ Kalio thought as she collected her personal data pad from beside her. She raised it alongside the larger screen and with a flick of her hand, the screen was transferred into the smaller device. She held the data pad closely and opened the message.

_Job well done, Captain. I’m very proud of you._

_Please rest up though. I’d hate to see the irony of your name rear its head again._

Kalio gave a breathy chuckle.

_With care, Orion._

_(And yes, that is an order.)_

_Uh-huh, sure my Liege,_ she thought, arching her back and stretching for a moment or two. Once she released, Kalio eased back into her chair, no longer having to sit upright and proper in the eyes of her fellow Rebellion leaders. She looked down at Little Man. _I can’t rest,_ she continued, petting him once more. _He of all people should know that._

Her gaze shifted to her data pad, and after a few seconds, the Captain began to type her reply.

_There is no rest for one anointed by I’lua._

Kalio hesitated.

_But I will try._

She then sent the message with her regards and again shifted her gaze to Little Man. “Come,” she said to him, ruffling the fur on his head, “let’s go.”

Little Man descended reluctantly from his perch, but once he saw his caretaker get up from her seat, he trotted over to the elevator door and waited patiently for her to follow.

The Captain wound her shoulder as she neared the elevator doors. “I’ll be heading down to the kitchens,” she began, “and then to my quarters till four. I want none of you to disturb me during that time unless absolutely necessary.” She turned around to face the entire command deck. “Am I understood?”

“Yes, Captain,” they all replied.

“Good,” she said, stepping into the elevator with her sea-dog. “As you were.”

While the command deck of the Captain’s main starship was a mostly calm and quiet place, save for the occasional siege, the hull was quite a different story. Every station and hallway bustled with crew members carrying out their duties, from janitors and launderers to weapons specialists and repair technicians. Everyone had a part to play, and they did so proudly, even down to the most menial of tasks. For it was through their collective efforts that the Rebellion would sooner be able to bring peace to the galaxy, and every heart was set on seeing that through.

As important as their work was to the Rebellion however, the Captain tended to favor the more… quieter routes aboard her ship. Once she and Little Man exited the elevator, they traversed their usual course through the hallways that contained the least amount of chatter and tinkering. It was along these routes that the Captain could properly think, and being Captain meant there was much to think about, the _real_ reason for her decent from the command deck taking its place at the forefront of her thoughts.

She _was_ going to the kitchens; that much was true, but that wasn’t the entirety of where she planned to go. No, there was someplace else that required her attention. Or rather…

Some _thing._

“Ah! Good morning, Captain!”

Kalio looked up from her haze of thoughts. The long hallway she and Little Man had been taking had now been split into three by another intersecting them, the small group of crew members who had greeted her standing to her left.

There were five of them in total: three cadets, one repair technician, and one attending officer, who was more than likely leading them to their delegated task. Those of whom who were carrying heavy equipment bowed their heads, whilst the others who weren’t had raised a hand to their brows in salute, palms facing outwards.

The Captain smiled, regarding them all with a small nod of acknowledgment. “And a good morning to you,” she said warmly.

The three cadets beamed, trying their best to remain composed in her presence.

“As you were,” the Captain continued, she and Little Man resuming their pace down the middle hallway.

Once the tail end of her captain’s cape disappeared from their view, Kalio heard the very faint, excited squeals of the three cadets, then the attending officer’s scolding immediately after. She couldn’t help but chuckle, remembering her own time as a cadet, how much trouble she caused, how many orders she disobeyed… she then prayed silently as she rounded another corner for her own cadets to never follow suit.

“Good mornin’ Cap’n!" called an older crew member from his station a short while later.

“Good morning, Felix,” Kalio said, nearing his counter. She eyed a familiar suit hanging from a rack of uniforms behind him. “I see my scales are done washing.”

“That they are!” he said cheerily, turning towards it. “I know it’s not really any of my business Cap’n,” he began, “but I strongly advise against rolling in any dirt in the future. Some spots, especially _under_ the scales, were _exceedingly_ difficult to clean.”

The Captain nodded. “Duly noted,” she said. She then looked past the uniforms towards the mountains of laundry that were piled high to the ceiling. Her brows furrowed. “Have you gotten anything from the kitchens yet?”

Felix adjusted his spectacles. “Oh I will!” he replied. He then turned to look at the same piles that still needed washing, pressing, and/or folding. “Ehh….” he began sheepishly, his toothy grin and long white whiskers falling slightly. He glanced at the Captain over his shoulder. “E-Eventually.”

Kalio took another moment to regard them. She then patted the counter, getting Felix’s attention. “I’ll get you something,” she said reassuringly, continuing on towards the kitchens.

Felix just about melted onto the counter in relief. “Thank you,” he called weakly.

Finally, the Captain reached the back doors of the kitchens, carefully unclasping her captain’s cape and catching it as it fell off her shoulders.

The kitchens were one of two retreats for Kalio aboard her ship, second only to her own private quarters. This was due in part to the presence of Ghara Koh’kura, the head cook, affectionately nicknamed “Cookie” by the Captain before she was old enough to properly speak.

As she folded said cape over her arm, Little Man whined at her feet, his tail-wagging causing his whole body to wiggle.

Kalio eyed him. “Impatient much?” she scolded.

Little Man huffed in response, trying to nudge the kitchen doors open with his snout.

Kalio rolled her eye and opened one of the doors, Little Man quickly bolting inside. “Good morning, Cookie!” she called.

Cookie immediately looked up from a large pan of vegetables upon hearing her, her yellow eyes lighting up upon seeing the small Nautican. “Captain!” she exclaimed warmly, the end of her long purple tail flicking upwards in excitement. As she left her place at the pan, one of her assistant cooks stepped in, resuming where she left off with her stirring. She pushed through the swinging doors of the main kitchen and dusted off her apron. “I was about to _—_ ” Cookie stopped abruptly, her gaze falling down to Little Man. “Why is the dog in here?”

“Oh come now Cookie,” Kalio began, “you know you enjoy his company.” She leaned past her to regard the rest of the kitchen crew. “Morning, you all.”

“Morning, Captain!” they answered.

“Yeah,” Cookie began sternly, “his company _is_ enjoyable… when he’s not stickin’ his nose in my butchered hens!”

Kalio gasped, looking to Little Man in scorn. “He didn’t tell me this.”

The little blue sea-dog looked from his caretaker to the cook, his ears lowering in shame.

“He didn’t?” Cookie asked, her large hands now square on her hips. “Had to throw a whole one away because of him!”

Kalio gasped dramatically, covering her mouth.

Knowing their eyes were locked onto him, Little Man rolled onto the floor in surrender, exposing his light underbelly, all eight of his legs up in the air. He dared not to look his accusers in the eye, hoping that this act of self-sacrifice was enough to earn their forgiveness.

It was, both Kalio and Cookie having to look away to hide their silent laughter. While her gaze was away, the Captain spotted a group of cadets behind the swinging doors of the main kitchen, shaving down various root vegetables and placing them into buckets for later use. She picked a small Nautican out of the group and called for her.

“Kira.”

“Yes, Captain?” the girl asked, looking up from a half-peeled root.

“Be a dear and bring Felix a plate and drink please.”

“Of course, Captain!” the girl chirped, getting up from her wooden stool and rushing off to the far-most counters.

Kalio then looked back down to the cowering sea-dog. _“Towa a lahan,”_ she said, Little Man immediately scrambling up from his place on the floor. He looked up at her, snorted, and then flipped around suddenly to nibble a spot on his rump.

After another moment or two, Cookie had regained control of her chuckling. “Despite his cuteness, Kalio,” she said, placing a hand on her shoulder, “he can’t be in here.”

“Behind you!” Kira called out, weaving past the dozen or so assistant cooks in her path. “Pardon me! Coming through!” She pushed past the small swinging doors of the main kitchen carrying a small tray, the contents of which looked heavenly: a bowl of last night’s vegetable stew, a sugared breakfast pastry, some leftover egg scramble from that morning’s breakfast rush, and finally a single empty cup, most likely to be filled at one of the countless water stations located all throughout the ship.

Kalio shifted her gaze from Kira to Cookie. “I’d much rather he was,” she replied, “I have more signing to get done today, and you know how I like to have my quiet.”

Cookie’s smile fell. “Oh…” she began, a wave of empathy overtaking her features, “well….”

While she tried to find the right words for a reply, Kalio took a few steps back to open the door for Kira, receiving a small but cheerful “Thank you, Captain” in return.

“I _suppose_ if he’s kept at the door…” Cookie continued, “I wouldn’t see the problem with it.”

“Thank you,” Kalio replied, slinging her captain’s cape over her shoulders once more. “I’ll be off then.”

“So soon?” Cookie asked, tilting her head slightly. “Did you at least _eat_ today?”

Kalio paused… then fiddled with her clasps quickly.

“YOU DIDN’T DID YOU—”

“Bye, Cookie!” she said, hurrying out into the hall. She could hear Cookie scolding her in rapid Nautican behind her as she ran. After rounding the corner and getting some good distance in, Kalio slowed her pace. She took a second to look behind her, then continued onwards, a small smile tugging at her lips.

 _And now,_ she thought.

_About that clone…._

There were two rows of cots lining each side of the Medical Bay, the majority of which were occupied with the soldiers who had survived the more severe injuries inflicted on the battlefield. Most were burn victims, others amputees. Theran nurses walked up and down the aisles, tending to the needs of their patients in hushed voices, careful not to wake those who were still in much need of sleep.

As the Captain strode down the main aisle, those who still had either their sight or enough hearing to recognize her footsteps saluted her with tired whispers.

“Captain….”

“Captain….”

“ _Kalio liewa…._ ”

The back of her neck grew pale and prickled at those words. “At ease,” she said softly. “Rest now. _Ta lio ne._ ” The Captain’s gaze lingered on their stained bandages for a moment longer before she continued on, her tentacles lowered as well as her eye.

The Doctor, Zoril, was towards the end of one of the right-most rows of cots, quietly discussing the contents of a data pad with a nurse. Once he caught the Captain’s movement out of the corner of his eye, he quickly turned towards her. “Ah! Captain,” he began, “done with your meeting so soon?”

“Yes,” she replied softly, “as you know, the good King Orion does not favor decorated language regarding important matters. And I am glad to report that there were few matters to discuss.” She then pivoted to left, waiting for him to follow.

Zoril then turned back to the nurse, handed her the data pad, and walked briskly down the hall to match the Captain’s heeled gait. “I see,” he continued, stuffing his scaled hands into his coat pockets. They walked for a few moments more in silence before the Doctor continued. “And… of Captain Neres?”

The Captain halted, causing Zoril to jump. She then turned towards him… slowly… her pupil about to retract itself into that signature slit he’d come to fear.

Zoril gulped, his crest flattening.

The Captain then gestured to a door in front of them, a small smile adorning her face. “Let us discuss this someplace more private, shall we?”

Zoril blinked. “Y-yes, of course!” he laughed, failing miserably to mask his remaining anxiety. “Gonna give me a heart attack one of these days, I swear,” he muttered as he began to dig through his pants’ pockets. Once he heard a familiar set of jingling, the Doctor produced a ring of keys, flipping through them and isolating one from the rest. He then unlocked the door in front of them and turned the handle, holding it open for the Captain to enter first.

“Thank you,” she said quietly, stepping past the threshold.

Zoril looked cautiously down the hall before following, shutting and locking the door once they were both inside. As he took to locking the deadbolt as well, the Captain proceeded down a short hallway, unclasping her cape as she went. Each opposing wall was lined with tall wooden shelves, each holding a fair stock of various medical supplies, all leading to a set of navy blue privacy curtains towards the end.

Kalio let out a sigh as her captain’s cape slid off her shoulders once more, catching it as it fell, and placing it in a row of hooks occupied with numerous doctor’s coats and scrubs. She then paused… her gaze slowly shifting to the blue veil.

Kalio eyed them for a moment, her ear nodes twitching slightly. Once deeming the sounds beyond to be of satisfaction, she grabbed ahold of the curtain and parted it.

There lay the clone from the blackened battlefields, restrained by his wrists and ankles to an examination table, tubes erupting from his forearms and chest towards the many medical machines and scanners that surrounded him.

Kalio studied him for a moment before turning her head slightly to the right. “How is he today?” she asked.

Walking past her to a makeshift desk on the clone’s left, the Doctor sighed. “Well his heart rate is stable,” he began, “and he’s still breathing on his own.”

Kalio carefully traversed through the maze of machines and their protruding cables as he spoke, coming to sit at a small stool to the clone’s right.

Several different scans hung from a line above them, each detailing the clone’s complex anatomy riddled with cybernetic implants and modifications. The Doctor gestured to them as he spoke, receiving a glance or two from his Captain before returning her gaze to the clone. A plethora of medical tomes surrounded them as well, each opened to specific pages with passages hastily underlined with blotched ink. There were also many a stray paper strewn about the room, consisting of various sketches and notes done in the same style.

Kalio inched closer to the clone, her earrings swinging slightly. She studied his face, from the few loose strands of hair resting upon his forehead, to the feeding tube that snaked around the back of his ear.

He was healing; that was good to see. The smaller wounds he had endured: cuts, scrapes, and the like, had begun to scar over. As for his larger neck wound however….

Kalio tilted her head to get a better look at the bandaging. She frowned.

It didn’t look much different than when he’d first been brought in.

_“What happened to him out there?” Kalio asked, eyeing the clone sternly._

_“Well,” the Doctor began, “I do have the beginnings of a theory.” He hopped off his chair and plucked a few scans and photographs from their place on the line. “Based on my examination, he sustained this—”_

_He held up a photograph, showing the wound in all its unsightly detail. Kalio turned away from the image, instead choosing to focus her sight on a distant wall._

_“–nasty wound to the back of his neck sometime before the Call was broadcasted. You can tell by the clotting patterns here, here—”_

_Kalio shot him a glare._

_Zoril paused. “Anyways,” he continued, turning back to the clone, “it rendered him unconscious. Now, Reinner explained this next part to me, seeing as tech isn’t my strongest suit, but every living clone is connected to something called the ‘Hivemind,’ and so are their many drones and droids.”_

_Kalio eyed the clone once more._

_“Reinner, and other bright tech analysts like himself, believe that’s how Prime is able to 'see all,’ ‘know all.’”_

_Kalio’s pupil retracted, the back of her neck prickling to match her displeasure._

_The Doctor continued. “And in support of that theory, they all emit a certain… energy signature of sorts. Most likely their connection to him and each other.” He removed his spectacles and began to clean them with his coat. “Reinner must’ve scanned this one a hundred times since we brought him back from the field. No energy signature like that whatsoever.”_

_Kalio’s eye narrowed upon the Doctor. “It’s like a switch was flipped,” she said softly._

_“Whatever caused the wound,” the Doctor replied, holding up his spectacles, “whatever ‘flipped the switch’ disconnected him, making the Call essentially useless.”_

_Kalio reflected on those words, looking to the clone once more, perhaps in search of confirmation. She could see the faintest glow beneath his eyelids, hardly the glow that they should be._

_But it was still something._

“When will he wake up?”

She had asked that same question two weeks prior, and just as before, the Doctor’s expression twisted into that of uncertainty. “… It’s—it’s still difficult to say, Captain,” he began, the crest atop his head lowering. “His wound…. It could be anywhere from next week to the end of the next campaign. Not to mention I don’t know if half the things I’m giving him are even safe for his species!” He gestured to the feeding tube and the countless scattered books and papers. He let out a heavy sigh, his arm falling to his side. “There’s just no telling.”

Kalio eyed him from her perch, her facial expression matching his. She then turned her attention back to the clone, back to the stray strands of hair that rested upon his forehead. She was still for a moment, contemplating her next actions, then slowly… Kalio reached out, her hand paling briefly…

… before smoothing back this hair.

Zoril eyed her as she withdrew her hand. “… maybe your ‘Amma a Nauta’ can help.”

Kalio looked at him quizzically. “I thought you never really believed in such things.”

“I dunno….” he replied. “It took a miracle to find him. It might take another one to wake him up.”

Kalio’s gaze turned pensive, falling to one of the many machines surrounding them. The two of them sat comfortably within that silence before the Doctor shifted in his seat.

“You still didn’t answer my question about Neres,” he said softly.

All returned to quiet for a moment.

Kalio sighed. “The Siege of Alantra is still underway,” she said. She looked up at him, her expression more tired than annoyed.

“He was unable to attend.”

…

The sky was blue and clear outside the ship, not a single cloud to interrupt its vast expanse. Tall trees of red rose up to greet it, cradling the many tented stations surrounding the Captain’s main starship, parted only by a large dirt road where numerous ground vehicles thundered to and from the mountainside.

As the Captain made her way down the ship’s ramp, she received numerous salutes from the many passing crew members and soldiers. She nodded towards them in acknowledgment and stopped about halfway down, turning her attention to the very faint, swirling colors of the galaxy’s protective barrier.

They were too far from the edge to see them, but the Captain knew that just beyond waited hundreds of Horde starships, ready to attack come next campaign. She let out a sigh, her captain’s cape heavy upon her shoulders. _Perhaps an extra prayer wouldn’t hurt after all…._

“Captain!” a voice called, pulling her from her haze.

She turned to see a familiar purple crew member racing up to meet her.

“Did you see him?” Reinner asked excitedly. “How is he? Is he awake? Is he _alive?_ ”

The Captain eyed him. “Nothing’s changed since yesterday,” she replied, turning back to the view, “and the day before, and the day before that—”

“Anything could’ve happened in that amount of time, Captain!” he cried, extending his upper arms for added emphasis. “His ears could’ve twitched! His fingers even! Wait wait wait,” he paused, a smirk spreading across his lips, “who do I sound like?”

He then cleared his throat, puffed out his chest, and folded his lower pair of arms behind his back in a better attempt to mimic his solemn subject of mockery.

Kalio raised a brow.

“As a fellow Captain,” he continued, his voice noticeably deeper, “I thought you’d come to understand that by now. KALIO! How on Nautiqa did you get into the vents?! You’re grounded till the end of the millennia I say!” He paused for dramatic effect… before sputtering into a laughing fit, unfolding his arms and holding his stomach as he cackled.

The Captain watched, unamused, as his laughing faded into chuckling, and his chuckling into a sigh of finality. After a moment, he turned back to her.

“Have you spoken to him yet?”

“No,” she said, turning away from him. “The siege is still underway.”

“Damn,” Reinner cursed softly. “How big is the Alantran system anyway?” He looked up towards the sky, shielding his four yellow eyes from the dueling suns.

The Captain resumed her prior point of interest. Reinner couldn’t help but study her face.

“I know that look.”

“What look?”

Reinner leaned forward, closer than comfort would allow for most, his face inches from her own. “Melancholy determination,” he said. He then raised himself upright and stood to her left, their sides almost touching. “You wear it whenever you think about the future. Or, more recently, whenever you visit our little stray.”

Kalio scoffed. “ _Our?_ ”

“Yes, _our,”_ Reinner said defensively. “You forget, Captain.” He then placed his two right hands upon his chest, his fingers spread out for dramatic flair. “ _I’m_ the one who found him first.” He opened his two right eyes, awaiting her reaction.

Her expression remained unchanged, causing his shoulders to slump slightly. “Speaking of which,” he continued, “in the case of him _not_ waking up, when can I have your permission to play with his head?”

The Captain paused. “Well, when you put it like _that,_ it almost makes me pity him.”

“My dear,” Reinner began, taking her hand and dancing around her, “I’d pity him either way. Enemy or not, whatever happened to him to place him in _our_ care _surely_ must’ve hurt.”

The Captain’s brow furrowed as he gave her a bow. “But really,” he continued, releasing her hand and rubbing his own together mischievously. “When can I probe his brains for information?”

The Captain eyed him, Reinner waiting patiently as she took in a deep breath and sighed. “Give it a few more weeks,” she said, “then you can do with him however you please.”

“Oohoohoo!” Reinner exclaimed, the Captain flinching at his volume. His long purple tail flicked upwards in excitement. “I can hardly wait!” he continued, spinning around and sighing in content. He turned, eyeing her over his shoulder.

The Captain eyed him in return, trying to suppress a smile.

“Do it or I’ll shank you,” he hissed, his last attempt finally making Kalio relent with a grin. Reinner smiled, _victorious_ , turning on his heel and making his way back towards his station. “I’ll leave you to your thoughts, Captain,” he said as he sauntered down the ramp.

Kalio shook her head as she watched him go, shifting to the view one last time before her return to the ship. Her eye searched the horizon for the small sliver of sea that lay just beyond the hilltops. She closed her eye and took a breath in, remembering the smells, the sights, the _warmth_ … the comfort of the water flowing in and around her body… she could swear she was back. She could swear she felt her home beneath her feet again. It was in that small window of familiarity, of _connection_ , that she released her breath… and issued her prayer.

_Amma liewa,_

_Amma a Nauta,_

_ayo a ki’ uomka ne_.

 _I beg of you,_ she prayed, retracing her steps down the many halls of her ship.

_Please grant your gift of life to the child of your most ancient enemy,_

She opened the door to her private quarters.

_… so that you may reunite with your people,_

She strode past the many boxes of signed notices to her desk, pulling out her chair and taking a seat.

_… your children of land and sea._

She dipped her pen into its inkwell.

_I serve you from afar, for that is all I can do._

She read the notice. “—killed in action—”

 _Please,_ she begged, signing her name onto the grim document.

_May these words reach you._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translations:
> 
> Issa'wiyo - "Little creature"  
> Pronounced "Ee-sah-wee-yoh"
> 
> I'lua - Nautican Moon Deity  
> Pronounced "Ee-loo-ah"
> 
> Towa a lahan - "All for laughs"  
> Pronounced "Toh-wah ah lah-han"
> 
> Kalio liewa - "Kalio almighty"  
> Pronounced "Kah-lee-oh lee-eh-wah"
> 
> Ta lio ne - "Rest now"  
> Pronounced "Tah lee-oh neh"
> 
> Amma a Nauta - "Mother of Life"  
> Pronounced "Ah-mah ah Nah-oo-tah"
> 
> Ayo a ki' uomka ne - "Listen to my heart/the deepest part of me."  
> Pronounced "Ah-yoh ah kee oo-ohm-kah neh"
> 
> Thank you so much for reading!


End file.
